Until The Very End
by Annabeth Dionne Granger
Summary: The summary may be a huge spoiler so... :)
1. Chapter 1

_A happy start,_

 _But a sad end._

 _A promised made,_

 _But not kept._

 _A sweet couple,_

 _Happily spent their day._

 _But who knows life,_

 _Would ended up this way?_

 **Chapter One: One Last Thing**

 _Oh,God! Those hazel eyes of Potter's! And his attractive jaw…_ Lily Evans sighed dreamily. Her head was resting on her hands. James Potter, who was sitting opposite her, waved his hand in front of her face.

"Are you okay?" asked James. When Lily snapped out of it, she blushed profusely. She just noticed that she had been staring at that git, James Potter, again. James laughed at her reaction.

"I know you can't resist me. "said James as he smiled broadly. Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh please. Don't get too proud of yourself." He ruffled his own hair uncontrollably like he always did. "You brought extra clothes and your swimsuit?" "Yeah, I did. What are those for?" inquired Lily curiously while James just flashed her an attractive grin. "Care for a walk at the beach?" James asked. "Sure." she replied. James took her hand and they both got out of the café.

 _Vroom…Vroom…_ James donned his helmet and offered Lily his hand. Before she took his hand, she had a good look at the motorcycle.

"Never knew you had a bike like that. You just bought it?" asked Lily, surprised. She hopped on the motorcycle behind James. "Actually, this is Sirius' motorcycle. Can't get a girl without this contraption, eh?" winked James. _Boy, he sure knows how to wink…_ thought Lily. She wondered why she had been rejecting such a gentle and charming man in university. She even regretted to breaking his heart once when she said she would rather date Severus Snape, Lily's ex-best friend before he insulted her, than date James. And it took a lot for Lily Evans to relinquish her pride.

Now that they were together, she would never dream of making his heart break again. (Remus had done a pretty good job as James' trusty wingman.)

"Um…Are you err…okay without wearing a helmet? Sirius only has one." asked James. "It's okay." replied Lily. "I have a brave Potter to protect me." Lily grinned. She wrapped her arms around his waist. The warmth of her body made James' heart do some kind of crazy tap dance number. Or maybe the butterflies in his stomach were just really excited and fluttered like hyper, ADHD creatures. "Hold on tight. We're heading for the beach." said James.

On the way to the beach, they passed Severus Snape's house. James spotted him cooking up some foul concoction in the lawn, and when Snape saw him and his crush, passing by, he shot him a dirty look. As James was a very polite man, he repaid him with his most derisive look ever.

James and Lily reached the beach in no time. It was almost 2 p.m. and the fine weather was just perfect for a couple to enjoy their weekend. The coconut trees swayed, welcoming the loving couple. They changed their clothes and went to mess around in the cool water. Before James joined Lily into the water, he sang dramatically "And if you feel you're sinking, I will jump right over into cold, cold water for yo-" and got pulled by Lily into the water with her.

James Potter without a shirt was something most females couldn't take their eyes off. Including Lily, of course _. His abs and biceps…_ thought Lily. After James joined the football team, he had been working out and training very hard. Even though his hair was wet, it was still sticking up in all directions. _Is it even possible to make his hair flat or stay in 'one direction_ '? thought Lily. Looking at his hair gave Lily the urge to ruffle it, and again, she couldn't help looking at him.

While Lily was lost in her thoughts, James splashed water on her. Being a 'good sport', she took revenge and splashed him with more of the salty water. They continued splashing water at each other, and it made them look like little kids enjoying themselves. If Professor McGonagall were there, she would have been quite disappointed by such childish behavior, especially from Miss Evans.

They got out of the water and had a stroll along the sandy shore. They talked and brought back old memories. Thinking back what they've done in their university, Hogwarts, had been quite interesting, especially for James. Even though the rules there were strict, James and his troublemaking mates, Remus, Peter and Sirius, or their nicknames Moony, Wormtail and Padfoot respectively, enjoyed pranking and 'marauding' there. After all the mischief managed there, they were called 'The Marauders'. 'What's life without some risk?' as Sirius had once said.

Lily was once first in "The Marauders' pranking list" as James had a big crush on her but kept getting rejected, even though most of the students could tell that she, the stubborn Lily Evans, also liked him back. Lily had started dating James two years after their graduation at Hogwarts University and getting looks from other people that envied her.

 _Single bells, single bells, single all the way…_ Sirius Black was lying on his bed, staring at the white, plain ceiling. He did not have the slightest idea on how to spend that weekend. All of the other marauders were occupied, busy with dates. Sometimes he even wondered, _how could Peter get a girlfriend when I can't?_ There was no one to share Sirius' boredom. He thought of going to the beach as Mr Sun was in a good mood, not his 'Sirius' mood. In addition of that, he might find himself a hot girlfriend there if he were stroke with good luck. After another few minutes of boredom, he made his decision and packed his things. _Beach, here I come._

He waited for the bus as he had lent his motorcycle to James. He checked the time on his cellphone. _2.30 p.m._ The lock screen photo of his cell phone was a picture of him and the other marauders. He felt a sting of loneliness just looking at the picture of them, happily hanging out. _Boy, I do need to get a girlfriend_ , thought Sirius. He slipped his phone back into his pocket. 15 minutes passed and there was still no sight of the late bus that should have arrived.

 _Honk…Honk…_ He turned and saw a sleek, blue Maserati. "Hey, coz! " greeted Andromeda, Sirius' favourite cousin. She took off her sunglasses and flashed him a quick, radiant smile. She was pretty and kind, perfect to be any lucky men's girlfriend. If only she weren't his cousin… "What are you waiting for? Hop on!" gestured Andromeda for him to get in the car.

She dropped him at the beach as requested. "Are you sure you don't wanna accompany me to visit Bella?" double-confirmed Andromeda. Naturally, he rejected her offer. Bellatrix was Sirius' _least_ favourite cousin as she was rude, evil, nasty, horrible and any other bad adjectives that you could think of. He got out of the car and thanked Andromeda. He put on his sunglasses and waterproof wristwatch, ready to flirt with hot girls in that sunny afternoon. Not for long, he found a suitable target: a tanned blonde girl.

The wind was strong and after a short while they got out of the water, they were all dried up. Lily's red hair was as beautiful as ever, wavy as the waves, while James' hair was as messy as ever, unkempt like a bird nest, which Lily was always fond of. They sat peacefully on the shore, enjoying the breathtaking scenery. There were many couples there enjoying their weekend, too.

"Ah!" yelled James. He was pushed into the salty sea water by Sirius Orion Black when he was getting up. Lily joined Sirius laughing hysterically at the once again wet James Potter. James flashed him a grin and said "Oh, come on Sirius. Be a good mate and help me up." Sirius laughed and replied, "I'm not gonna get fooled by that lame old-"

 _Splash._

"Too late!" smirked James.

"Good one mate." replied Sirius. They glared at each other and then at Lily, and then at each other again. "Are you thinking what I'm thinkin'?"asked James to Sirius. Sirius nodded in agreement. "I think there's some mischief is to be done! Someone's not wet!" and with that, they both raced towards the puzzled-looking Lily. She broke for a run when she finally realized that they were talking about _her_.

"Oh no you don't!" said Sirius as he blocked her way. "Gotcha!" cheered James as he wrapped her around the waist. When she turned, she found herself face to face with James. Maybe they were only one inch away from each other. Without a second thought, she sealed her lips with his. James' heart skipped a beat. He felt like an electric bolt had just shocked him. He kissed her back when he came back to his senses. Sirius, left alone without anyone to snog with, grabbed his camera and started to snap photos.

"Lily and James' first kiss!" announced Sirius. "This one's going viral!" he cheered mischievously.

"Give me that or the camera gets wet." said James when the two love birds broke apart.

"Oh yeah? Come and get it then." replied Sirius and he ran. James chased the black-haired git and Lily just stood there silently with her arms folded, watching the two fooling around. A board smile appeared on her face.

When both of the two 'children' were worn out chasing each other, they sat peacefully on the beach with Lily.

"What brings you here, Sirius?" asked James. Lily, who was thinking absent-mindedly, found interest on James' question. She glanced at Sirius, prepared to hear some silly excuses of his. Apparently, he was just bored and decided to enjoy the scenery of the beach as the calm waves always had a way to ease his mind.

"Or did you mean the view of hot girls here?" smirked Lily and she swore that he was blushing. "Ah, Evans, you know what I mean." grinned Sirius and, of course, Lily _knew_ what he meant. He was desperate to find a girlfriend since all his mates were taken. He was the only _single_ Marauder.

Unfortunately, James didn't understand what they were talking about. He gave Lily and Sirius a puzzled look but they both just laughed and ignored him.

"So, any luck finding your 'Miss Right'?" asked Lily. She knew the feeling of being the only single one among all friends. "Nope." replied Sirius. He looked up to the sky and sighed. _Guess Miss Right is harder to find than I thought_ , thought Sirius.

He checked the time on his wristwatch and got up. "Gotta go. Bye!" bid Sirius as he left. "Bye!" replied the two in unison. They both watched the figure of Sirius leaving.

"Wait here. I'll go get something." said James and he went to the motorcycle. He returned with two glass bottles and pens. "What are those for?" asked Lily, confused. "Ah, patience Evans. Here are two bottles. Each containing a piece of paper. Write something on the paper and we'll read it when we visit here again." said James as he passed one of the bottles to Lily. She took the paper out and started scribbling.

"Nuh uh uh! No peeking!" said Lily, wiggling her finger in front of that bespectacled 'giraffe'.

"Oh come on Lily. Just one peek. Please…" pleaded James and showing her his adorable puppy-eyes. Potter's style. _Merlin! His eyes…_ Part of her just wanted to hug him tightly but she resisted. "Not gonna work, Potter. Besides, _you_ came up with this idea!" said Lily as she tucked the paper back into the bottle. James sighed and pointed to a small coconut tree.

"Let's bury it under that tree. We'll dig the bottles up together next time." instructed James. Lily nodded in agreement and they buried the bottle, together.

They sat on the golden sand, enjoying the view as the sun began to sank. _Time sure flies when you're having fun_ , thought James. Seeing Lily closing her eyes, he leaned closer to her and planted a kiss on her lips. Happily, she kissed him back, a smile graced her face.

"Time to go back?" asked Lily. James nodded and he got up, offered Lily his hand and they went to change their clothes.

"Never knew we had same T-shirts! What a coincidence!" cheered James, surprised. "Oh, please. You told me to wear this, silly." replied Lily, rolling the pair of gorgeous, emerald eyes of hers.

"Oh, did I?" asked James innocently. Lily just shook her head and grabbed his hand, tightly. They both walked to the motorcycle, every once-in-a-while stealing glances from each other.

"No one could ever separate us. Are you with me until the very end of our lives?" asked Lily, looking at the ocean. "Until the very end. I promise." replied James, squeezing her hand. She turned to look at his face and smiled.

They hopped on the motorcycle and began their journey back home. They drove past a shop that sold helmets and James planned to stop at there to buy a helmet, in case of any accidents. Unfortunately, he found out that the brakes weren't working.

"Are you okay?" asked Lily when she saw James face through the rear mirror, her instincts were telling her that James was feeling uncomfortable.

"Am I okay? Don't be silly. Spending almost the whole day with the girl I love? How can I not be okay?" said James, swallowing the nervousness as he didn't want to scare Lily.

They were speeding over 100 mph.

"Slow down. I'm scared." pleaded Lily. James' heart ached when she sensed the fright in her tone.

"No. This is fun!" replied James, trying to reassure her. "No, it's not! Please, it's too scary!" said Lily. James felt like his heart was stabbed by a knife, the wound left there to bleed and no chance of healing. "Then tell me you love me." "Fine. I love you. I really do." James held back the hot tears that were almost bursting out. "Now give me a hug." Lily hugged him, tight. I'm so sorry, Lily. _If there's any chance we meet again in the next life, I will make you the happiest bride in the whole wide world. I'm sorry that I couldn't accompany you till the very end of our lives. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. Please forgive me…_ thought James. "Now can you slow down?" questioned Lily nervously. "One last thing. Can you take off my helmet and put it on? It's bugging me and my perfectly messy hair." said James, his heart bleeding and he know that the end of his life was near. "Okay." replied Lily. To James, her voice was the sweetest melody and he wanted to just hear and hear it again, but sadly, that was the last time hearing her voice…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Until The Very End

The first thing Lily saw the next day was the white ceiling.

"Where am I?" she whispered. She got up and saw her clothes. She looked around and her question was answered. _The hospital? How did I end up here?_ She checked the time on the clock on the wall and ran out of her ward.

"Excuse me, miss. Is there a patient named James Potter?" asked Lily nervously. "I think he is in the ward there." pointed the nurse. Lily thanked her and ran off without waiting for the nurse's reply.

She opened the door and found a pale-looking James Potter, lying on the bed with Remus and Mr and Mrs Potter standing beside him. His parents were sobbing sadly. The only child of theirs was dying and they couldn't do anything. Remus was shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"James!" Lily called as she rushed to his bed and knelt, trembling. His hair was still as messy as always. She lightly ruffled his hair. The other hand reached for his fragile hand and grasped it tightly, scared that he might just vanish in front of her. She didn't want to lose him. Not now, not tomorrow, not without her. He said he will be there for her, until the very end.

She rested her head beside him and started to weep. Suddenly, the door flew open. Sirius and Peter rushed in and trembled when they saw James as pale as a sheet. James never looked so pale before. He was always cheerful and active. Unlike now. Peter curled into a ball and cried silently. Sirius fell to his knees, tears streaming down his handsome face. He muttered something that was too soft and Lily was too sad to even bother listening.

"Hey," rasped James. Everybody turned to look at him. He gripped Lily's hand more tightly; afraid that he will lose her very soon. He wanted to marry her, to be by her side always. All he ever wanted was happiness and having a family with the woman who he always loved with all his heart. All his wishes and hopes had died on the moment when he knew that death was already signing him up to another world. Another world where his friends and family are very far away.

He smiled and said "I know I don't have much time. Mom and Dad, I love you and I'm sorry for not being a good son. I'm probably the worst son ever…" He held back his tears, crying would only bring him more pain. "No…you're not." replied James' mother. "You're always the proud and best son we have. We love you too!" said James' parents. James smiled and even that ached. "Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot… Before I leave, let's say it one last time. I'm afraid when I reach up there I may forget it." "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." said the Marauders together for the last time. They four cried, losing a best friend was much more painful than dying.

"Lily?" whispered James. "I'm here." replied Lily. They two locked eyes and Lily leaned closer to him. "I love you. Don't forget me. My heart belongs to you until the very –" James' hand fell and his heartbeat stopped. "James…James! Don't go… I love you too…" said Lily and she burst into tears. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces. The pain of losing the cheerful, charming, positive and mischievous James Potter made her want to die with him. There was no point of living without him. James Potter left them with his most handsome smile that burnt into the remaining Marauders, Lily and his parents' mind, impossible to forget.

The third day after James Potter's death, Lily woke up with her eyes swollen after sobbing. It was 7 in the morning and she got up. She grabbed her bag and went to get her car. She searched for her car keys in the parking lot and saw a photo. It was the photo of her first kiss with James. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She drove to the only destination in her mind: the beach. She blinked back her tears whenever she pass by the places that she and James had been. Precious memories of James kept on popping in her mind: the memory of them dating, the memory of them kissing, the memory of them holding hands, enjoying the presence of each other. The last words of James kept on ringing in her ear. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

She parked her car and ran to the small coconut tree. She dug out the bottle and took out the delicate paper slowly. Inside the paper was scribbled with James' perfect handwriting:

* * *

Dear Firecracker,

Don't get angry yet. I know you don't like that nickname but that is the only name I will call no one except you. There are too many people named 'Lily' and you, Lily Evans, Firecracker, my girlfriend, is the only woman for me, James Potter, one of the Marauders, Prongs and your awesome boyfriend. Love you and may I kiss you? (Even if you say no I will kiss you anyway.) I hope our relationship lasts as long as Professor McGonagall's lecture. (Seriously. She does know how to make you regret for getting in trouble by giving you a loooooooong lecture.) Anyway, um…will you er… marry me?

P.s. you may wonder how did I write so neatly on the sand and the answer is I wrote it at home and it took me like two nights writing you this. Yes, yes I know it's not romantic and all but I really hope you would, you know, be the Lily of my Prongs.

P.p.s. don't take that joke too Siriusly.

P.p.p.s. Will you, Lily Evans, marry the awesome and charming James Potter?

Love, the fantastic James Potter

 _James_

* * *

Tears kept running down her face as she read every single word. "He was going to propose to me…" whispered Lily to herself. No one would see her crying there as it was still early. No one was there to comfort her. The letter flew away from her hands. In a blink of an eye, the letter was gone, just like James Potter. She trembled. She curled up into a ball and sobbed helplessly. _Why must the world treat me like this? Haven't I suffered enough?_ thought Lily. Her life was never easy and when she thought she finally found happiness, the love of her life was gone, just like all her hopes. She lifted up her head as the sun rises. She imagined James sitting beside her like the past few days, when he was still alive. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. She just wanted to hug him tightly and never let him go. She imagined him comforting her, telling her that it was just a dream, he hadn't died at all. "Until the very end…" Lily muttered. Suddenly someone was standing in front of her, blocking her view. _James_ she thought. She raised her head and she saw James. She happily reached to touch him but he disappeared _. It was just my imagination._ Tears dropped.

"Hey," said Sirius as he walked and sat beside Lily. "The ones who really love us never really leave us. You could always find them in here." pointed Sirius at his heart. "Yeah," sniffed Lily. She wiped away her tears. "He is always with me… Until the very end…"


End file.
